Electricians have been working on hot or live switchgear for many years. There are many instances, for example, hospitals, large factories and numerous businesses that require electricians to work and install equipment and conduits into live switchgear without de-energizing it first.
There has never been a safe and ideal way of installing conduits in hot or live switchgear without turning the electrical off at the source. The process of drilling into live or hot switchgear produces debris that is extremely hazardous to the operator, should any of debris accidentally fall inside a breaker or an electrical switch inside the switchgear, hence causing an explosion.
Usually, an operator will use a piece of cardboard or a rubber blanket to try to insulate the electrical components from the debris caused by drilling into the switchgear. Typically, this task is performed with a two-step approach: (1) a small hole is drilled by using a unibit to cut a hole about 1″ in diameter; and (2) a hole punch is used to punch the appropriate sized hole to finish the task. The first step is very dangerous. If the shavings from the unibit fall into the live or hot components of the switchgear, an explosion may occur which can result in serious injury to the operator and at times can be fatal.
The practice of working on live or hot switchgear is not new, but has often made electricians uneasy. The very nature of the work of an electrician around live or hot switchgear is often a tense moment, especially when drilling holes into the metal housing of the switchgear. The act of cutting the hole, whether one uses a unibit or hole saw, is a large aspect of the task. Although cutting the hole might appear to be the most dangerous aspect of the task, the removal of the debris by means of a makeshift apparatus is just as hazardous, if not more. A make-shift apparatus is very difficult to make so as to limit the possibility of errors. Furthermore, no matter what type of apparatus one uses, the debris is never secured in a proper method for easy disposal.
Another challenge that is even greater is that of drilling into live or hot switchgear that has very limited space due to existing wiring that has been routed in such a way that it cannot be moved, or that has switchgear components that cannot be removed.
The operations of drilling into live or hot switchgear is not likely to diminish but, on the contrary, to grow more and more prevalent seeing how our present culture is more geared to optimum production and technology. With factories producing materials around the clock and technology growing at the fastest rate, shutting down switchgear to enable safe conditions is becoming less and less likely.
Due to the foregoing factors, only the very experienced electricians are called to perform these duties. When accidents occur, a very well trained and experienced trade man is lost and the explosion causes great cost and loss to the company, the contractor and the insurance companies.
The safety tool of this application would make this unsafe and hazardous operation, one of the safest operations that an electrician could perform around live or hot switchgear. This safety measure while providing an enhanced sense of security to the electrician would also ensure the business owner a peace of mind, knowing that all safety measures that are available are being used. This safety tool not only limits the possibility of danger during the act of drilling into the switchgear, but also assists in the removal of the debris and disposal of debris after the operation is over.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for a safety tool for facilitating work on live or hot switchgear. Further, there is a specific need for such a safety tool that limits the danger associated with drilling into switchgear. There is a further need for such a safety tool that facilitates the simple and safe removal of debris during the drilling operation.